Polkadot (DOT) Historical Price and Return Analysis: Should I buy DOT now?

Summary

This article provides a comprehensive review of Polkadot’s historical price movements and market volatility since its inception, analyzing data from bull and bear market phases. It evaluates the potential returns for investors who purchase 10 DOT tokens and answers the key question, “Should I buy DOT now?” to help both beginners and long-term investors grasp timing and growth opportunities.

Project Overview

Polkadot aims to connect private chains, consortium chains, public chains, open networks, oracles, and future technologies yet to be developed. It facilitates the internet by enabling independent blockchains to exchange information and transactions trustlessly via Polkadot’s relay chain. Polkadot makes creating and connecting decentralized applications, services, and institutions easier than ever before.

Bull Market Start and Early Market Cycle: Historical Price Review (2020 to 2021)

According to CoinMarketCap records, the early trading price of Polkadot (DOT) was approximately $133.0.

Below are DOT’s price changes during the early market:

2020

• Opening Price: $133.0
• Closing Price: $10.14
• Highest Price: $306.7
• Lowest Price: $3.98
• Annual Return: -92.38%

2021

• Opening Price: $9.29
• Closing Price: $29.67
• Highest Price: $52.2
• Lowest Price: $9.29
• Annual Return: 219.24%

An investor who bought 10 DOT at the beginning of 2021 and sells today would face a potential loss of -$73.86.

Bear Market Adjustment and Mid-term Market Cycle: Return and Risk Analysis (2022 to 2023)

During this period, DOT’s price experienced significant volatility, with a sharp decline during the 2022 bear market followed by a rebound in 2023.

The potential returns for investors purchasing 10 DOT at different stages are as follows:

• 2022: -$227.26
• 2023: -$29.177

2022

• Opening Price: $24.64
• Closing Price: $4.37
• Highest Price: $27.68
• Lowest Price: $4.37
• Annual Return: -82.25%

2023

• Opening Price: $4.83
• Closing Price: $8.2
• Highest Price: $8.62
• Lowest Price: $3.75
• Annual Return: 69.95%

Recent Market Cycle: Should I buy DOT now? (2024 to 2026 so far)

In recent years, DOT has shown a downward volatility trend, with overall weak performance since 2024, especially during the sustained adjustments in 2025 and 2026.

2024

• Opening Price: $6.9
• Closing Price: $7.67
• Highest Price: $10.39
• Lowest Price: $3.79
• Annual Return: 11.21%

2025

• Opening Price: $6.63
• Closing Price: $2.14
• Highest Price: $6.63
• Lowest Price: $1.8
• Annual Return: -67.69%

2026 (so far)

• Opening Price: $2.07
• Closing Price: $1.91
• Highest Price: $2.07
• Lowest Price: $1.91
• Annual Return: -7.82%

The potential returns for investors purchasing 10 DOT during this period are:

• 2024: -$49.89
• 2025: -$47.2
• 2026 so far: -$1.62

Summary: Bull, Bear, and Investment Timing Analysis

By analyzing DOT’s historical prices and potential returns, we see that since the peak in 2021, this asset has entered a long-term decline cycle, dropping from a high of $52.2 to the current level of $1.91. Regardless of the entry point, investors who buy 10 DOT tokens are currently at a loss, with the maximum loss reaching -$1310.91. The market is in an extremely depressed state, and investors should carefully evaluate fundamental project developments and market recovery signals when deciding whether to buy DOT.